Ninja School Incident
When the teacher arrived at the ninja school today, he noticed several students sitting alone. They were children of the Sarutobi, Shimura, Hinata, and Inuzuka families, who preferred to squeeze in with others rather than sit next to these classmates.
The teacher frowned. "What's going on here? Go back to your seats! At your age, forming cliques and isolating classmates is unacceptable. You're all friends in the same class! What's the matter?"
A student stood up, visibly trembling. "But, teacher! It's because of them that the water pipes in our homes aren't working anymore! My mother has to carry buckets to fetch water from a faraway point every day!"
As one child spoke up, others followed suit. In Konoha, there are water-fetching points in each of the four urban districts. However, these points are fixed locations, and some families are too lazy to carry buckets that far, opting instead to buy water from mobile vendors who sell it for convenience. This water was once clean, but it has now become polluted by industrial activities.
With many people flocking to the water-fetching points, long lines have become the norm, prompting some to prefer purchasing water instead. Despite having a bit of money, many refuse to pay for water and still choose to go fetch it themselves.
Water pipes had been laid two years ago during the first phase of reconstructing the urban areas, but the water treatment plant had yet to be built, leaving many residents without a reliable water supply.
Senju Tobirama, the teacher, admired his nephew for foreseeing future plans that he himself couldn't have devised. Originally, homes built two years ago were promised water connections, but this plan fell through.
Naturally, people were upset about this situation. In Yuya's eyes, the selfish obstruction by a few families had harmed the interests of most Konoha residents. Denying someone their basic needs feels almost like a personal attack. Adults fear the ninja families, not wanting to jeopardize their relationships, but children are more straightforward.
If someone doesn't want to play with you, they simply don't want to play with you. Kids value honesty and don't engage in complex intrigues.
The teacher had no choice but to educate the students against such behavior. In fact, he shared their resentment towards those families. If it weren't for them, he might soon have access to running water.
People tend to remain indifferent until their own interests are threatened. This is reminiscent of the saying, "Why are you willing to donate a million but not a cow?" The reality hits hard when personal stakes are involved.
However, children are innocent. Regardless of the teacher's frustrations, he couldn't lash out at them.
...
The situation in the ninja school mirrored the broader context in Konoha Village. While adults worked during the day, they couldn't help but complain about the ninja families. The "Ninpo News," published once or twice a week, had become a popular source of entertainment, with many making it a habit to grab a copy while passing newsstands.
Today, the first headline in the Ninpo News sparked outrage among the villagers. But what could they do? They needed to keep working.
Meanwhile, the Uchiha clan found themselves in a perplexing situation. They were still debating whether to accept Senju Tobirama's proposal, with radicals and conservatives quarreling over the issue. However, the latest news forced them to reevaluate; the demands from other families regarding the construction of a factory for the Uchiha clan no longer seemed viable.
The Uchiha clan was furious. Yet, they found themselves powerless. They had been in discussions for over a week without receiving a response from the opposing families, who were now protesting. What could they do?
Ultimately, the Uchiha clan had to let go of their ambitions for the water plant and settle on repairing the water wheel upstream of the Nanga River. Senju Tobirama, known for his ability to irrigate farmland, wouldn't allow the Uchiha clan to halt their training.
The Uchiha were aware that refusing to cooperate would only invite further scorn from the people of Konoha. So, they begrudgingly agreed to the repairs, realizing there were benefits for them in doing so.
Despite the cancellation of the water plant, the Uchiha clan's radicals felt a deep embarrassment over the situation. The proposed water plant, vital for the water supply of hundreds of thousands in Konoha, required significant investment.
Kagami Uchiha, feeling aggrieved but with no other option, eventually approached Senju Tobirama. After a long silence, Tobirama sighed and confirmed that construction of the water plant would begin the next day.
Yuya noted that Kagami looked ashamed but understood the limitations imposed by his clan's name.
The construction of the water plant went swiftly, and when water finally flowed into Konoha Village, the excitement was palpable.
For Yuya, this was merely a routine matter, but for the majority of Konoha's residents, it was a momentous occasion.
As time progressed into the nineteenth year of Konoha, an unexpected event occurred. After the deaths of both the Mizukage and Tsuchikage, Konoha had to respond, though Yuya chose to send only standard condolences to both villages. He also inquired whether the Tsuchikage was interested in joining Konoha's shopping street, given the Earth Kingdom's agricultural potential.
However, the two nations seemed embroiled in their own internal disputes over who would become the next Kage. Yuya decided to ignore them, prioritizing his village's development.
In the spring of Konoha's nineteenth year, the Raikage sent envoys to propose a truce.
Senju Tobirama, uninterested in stopping hostilities, was ready to continue fighting, but Yuya intervened, suggesting that Konoha focus on self-development. The stronger Konoha became, the better positioned they would be in future dealings.
Ultimately, Senju Tobirama agreed with Yuya's perspective and offered a condition: the war could cease, but the Raikage must come to Konoha to sign the armistice treaty. If not, the fighting would persist.
Furious, the Raikage continued hostilities against Konoha in the spring of the nineteenth year. Although the other villages like Kirigakure and Iwagakure chose not to intervene, Sunagakure was focused on its own North-South Water Diversion Project and remained uninvolved.
Yunyin felt compelled to maintain their reputation and persist in battling Konoha.
And so, the conflict continued, with reckless determination.